Appliance for use with milking-machine installations for measuring each cow&#39;s milk



Dec, 1s, 1924. 1,519,826

FUGE A'PPLIANCE FOR USE WITH MILKING MACHINE INSTALLATIONS. FOR MEASURING EACH COWS MILK Filed 06f. 20, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 FISH., C;

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Hmm msTALLAnoNs J. W. FUGE APPLIANCE FOR USE WITH MILKING MAC FOR MEASUEING EACH GOWS MILK Filed 001'.. 20, 1923 2 SheeS-Shee 2 .Tn e/e n far:

Patented Dec. i6, 1924.

UNITED Si.

JAMES WILFRED FUGE, OF FEATHERSTON, NEW ZEALAND, ASSEGNOR TO THE FUGE NEW WAY MILKING MACHINE .AND TESTER COMPANY LIM'ITED, OF FEATHER- STON, NEW ZEALAND.

APPLIANCE FOR USE lWITH MILKING-MACHINE INSTALLATIONS FOB, MEASURNG EACH COWS MILK.

Application filed October 20, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES WILFRED Fuer, subject of the King of r@treat Britain, residing at Kahautara Road, Featherston, in the Dominion of New Zealand, have invented new and useful Improvements in Appliances for Use with Milking-ldachine Installations for Measuring Each Cows Milk, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to that known class of appliance for use with milking machine installations for the purpose of measuring each cows milk as it is milked, and then for passing such milk on to a releaser apparatus to be delivered into the ordinary receptacle. These appliances are in some instances formed by two cans that are used in alternation with oneJ another in receiving the milk from the cows as they are milked. Each can is adapted to be interposed between the vacuum source and the teat cups, so that it receives the milk, and then after the milking has iinished, is disconnected from the teatcups, and the milk contained within it sent away to the releaser main. Each can also is provided with a gauge glass indicator by means of which the measure of the milk received in the can may be ascertained. It is also furnished with means whereby the hand strippings may be added to the main quantity so that the whole of the milk from each cow is accurately measured. p

The present invention consists in a special form of valve apparatus designed for use in connection with such a pair of cans, by means of which provision is made through the operation of a single control lever, for each can being connected with vacuum and with the teat cups, while the other is connected with the releaser main, in turn, by the movements of the lever to its different positions, so that the cans work in alternation to receive the milk, and after the hand strippings are added thereto, to deliver that milk to the releaser main.

The said invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter fully described in relation thereto.

Figure l is a front elevation of a pair of measuring cans and of the valve controlling apparatus arranged in working condition.

.Serial No. 669,853.

Figure 2 is a plan thereof.

Figures 3 to 8 are detail views of the valve apparatus, on an enlarged scale,

Figure 3 being a front elevation,

Figure 4e a back elevation,

Figure 5 a side elevation,

Figure 6 a rear face view of the front member of the valve,

Figure 7 a front face view of the back member thereof, and

Figure 8 a sectional side elevation thereof.

Figure 9 is a view illustrating the connections made on a first movement of the valve.

Figure 10 is a similar view showing the second movement.

A-A (Figures l and 2) represent the usual measuring cans, each of which is made of the desired capacity and of an airtight nature and each of which is fitted with the measuring gauge glass B or B and with a valve controlled inlet C entering its bottom and used for drawing' the milk constituting the hand strippings of a cow, into the can when such can is in vacuum. These general features are common to this class of appliance.

The valve apparatus, as designed for the working of these cans, is arranged in between the two cans, and as shown in the drawings, comprises a main base plate l), preferably of circular disc forni, that is fixed to a tubular fitting E extending across its back above its centre line and which litting is adapted to vbe interposed within the vacuum releaser main F of the installation by the union nuts G, or other jointing means provided for that purpose.

The said base plate D is formed on each side of its central vertical line and in its top portion with a port ll which opens through from its front face into the pipe passage E behind. rlhese ports are hereinafter referred to as the releaser ports. The base plate is also formed on each side of its central line, near its top, with a port 12 that opens through from the front and into a nipple fitting H projecting rearwards and which nipple is then connected by the tube H (Figures l and 2) having a non-return valve h therein, directly with the top of the can situated on that side of the valve. These orts l2 will be hereinafter referred to as tle vacuum ports. lglhe several ports 11 and 12 are all disposed in the same concentric line.

At the bottom of the base plates central line, and also disposed concentricaily with the other ports, is another port 13 that opens through from the front into a nipple J extending vertically downward from the bottom of the plate. This nipple receives the end of the teat cup connecting tube J and its port 13 will be hereinafter referred to as the milk port.

The base plate, in addition, is Yformed on each side of its central line with a small aperture d passing right through it and the purpose of which will be hereafter described. These apertures are inside the concentric line of the other ports and will be referred to as air inlets.

Combined with the base plate l) is a valve plate K that is mounted to turn upon a bearing pin D fixed to project centrally from the base plate and having a radial handle extension K by means of which it may be turned. The engaging faces ot the plates D and l( are made-smooth so that an airtight engagement may be effected between them. The two are kept in close frictional engagement, in order that the plate K may retain the position to which it is turned, by means of a clamping nut M screwed on the outer end of the pin D" and bearing upon a helical compression spring Vl mounted upon thepin and the inner end of which bears upon the plate K.

This plate K is made on its inside face in the upper half, with a groove 14 arranged in a concentric line coincident with the ports 11, 12 and 13 of the plate D. The groove is also made of such a length that when the plate is in a central position, as when the handle. is extending vertically downward, the groove will extend between both reloascr ports 11, thus also covering the intermediate ports 12. It is also of such a length that when the plate is turned to either side to an almost reversed position, it will bridge the milk port 13 and the releaser port 11 on that side.

In addition, the plate K on each side ot its lower half, near the bottom, is formed with a port 15 opening through from its back face to a nipple N fitted to project from the front of `the plate. This nipple is then connected by the flexible pipe connection N with the can situated on that side of the valve, through a fitting passing into the top of the can. A further port 16 is formed in each side of this plate at a point between the port 15 and the end of the groove 14 and this port opens into a nipple O projecting'from the front of the plate which nipple 1n turn is connected by a flexible pipe connection O with the upper end of a pipe P that-is fitted to extend down into the can on that side, to a point near its, bottom.

This pipe has a control valve P on its upper end to allow of it being shut oft when it .is not required to work the can on that side.

The several ports 15 and 16 are all disposed in the same concentric line with the groove 14. and coincident with the beforementioned ports in the plate D.

ln the operation of the valve, the neutral position is that shown in Figures 1 to 8 and in this position both cans are connected with vacuum through the bridging of the releaser ports 11 and vacuum ports 12 by the groove 111, and a solid part of the plate K is over the milk port 13 to seal it. A movement of the plate K to the right for a specific distance to a first position, will cause the groove 14 to move away from the releaser port 11 on that side, while maintaining the connection of both cans with vacuum through the ports 12 and the remaining port 11, and at the same time will move the port 15 on the left side of the valve plate across over the milk port 18. The can on the left hand side will thus be connected to the teat cups through the valve and being also connected to vacuum, milking of the cow into that can may proceed. When the milking has iinished, the valve is moved back to neutral to retain the milk in the can and to permit of the teat cups being placed on the neXt cow to be milked.

When this-has been done, the valve is moved over to the iirst position to the left, which is the position shown in Figure 9, and thereby connects the right hand can with the teat cups so as to receive the milk from the second cow. Art the same time while this milking is proceeding the left hand can is retained in vacuum connection so that thev milk representing the'hand strippings of the first milked cow may be introduced into it through the. valve C thereof. The full amount is then read from the gauge glass and the valve is moved further to the lef-t to a second position shown in Figure 10. This will have the result of bringing the port 16 on that side into coincidence'with the releaser port 11,A while still maintaining.,Y vacuum connection between the right hand can and the releaser main, and also maintaining connection between the same can and the teat cups, the ports 15, each being made of sufficient length to establish connection between it and the milk port 13, as the valve is moved from first to second position. In

this position of the valve. connection is established between the left hand can and the releaser main F through the connection O and pipe P leading into the bottom of the can so that the milk is drawn away from the said can to the main, the necessary air admission to ensure of vits flow being obtained by the coinciding of a` portion of the port 15 with the air inlet d on that side, to permit air to pass through the connection N to break down the vacuum in that can, which occurs when the valve is moved to the second position. ln` Figures 9 and l() the ports in the fixed plate D are shown by the dotted lines, while those in the moving part, as also the `groove therein, are shown by the full lines.

During these operations the milking ot the cow into the other can has been proceeding and is allowed to continue until the cow is nished, when the valve is moved back to neutral and the aforesaid operations repeated in a reverse manner by the moving ot the valve to rst and second positions upon the other side.

lit it is desired to convey the milk directly from the cow to the releaser main, thereby cutting out the measuring cans, the valve is moved right around to either side until the groove lll bridges the milk port 13 and releaser port 1l on that side. The milk will then flow along the groove to the main. The position of the valve in these conditions is indicated by the dotted lines in Figure l0.

The valve is provided with suitable indications, as the pointer R on the stationary part and the markings R on the moving part (shown in Figure 3), whereby its correct adjustment to obtain the proper connections, is obtained.

rlhe whole operations incidental to the milking ot cows in sequence and alternately into the two cans are thus controlled by the movements of the valve to the diii'erent positions indicated, on each side of its central neutral position, the machine milking of one cow into one can proceeding while the hand strippings are taken from the previously milked cow, added to the contents ot' the other can and the whole measured and then sent away to the releaser main.

l claimtl. In a vacuum-operated liquid dispensing` installation, the combination, with an inlet pipe for the liquid, a pair of air-tight vessels, and a vacuum main: ot a valve disposed between such vessels and comprising a fixed part having two ports connecting with the vacuum main, two ports connecting respectively with the two vessels, and fl Single P011 il connected to the inlet pipe; and a movable part mounted on the surface of the said fixed part and constructed with port connections leading one to the top ot each vessel and one to the bottom of each vessel, and with a groove on its tace adjacent to the fixed part adapted to bridge the vacuum main ports and vessel-connected ports of the iiXed part; said ports and groove being relatively so disposed that in a central position of the movable part ot the valve both vessels are connected to the vacuum main, in a iirst position of the movable part to either side of said central position both vessels are still connected with the vacuum main and one vessel is also connected with the inlet pipe, and in a second position ot the movable part to the same side the connection of the said vessel with the vacuum main and with the inlet pipe is maintained, while the other vessel is connected only to the vacuum main through the connection leading into its bottom. l 2. A vacuum-operated liquid dispensing installation, according to claim l, in which, the fixed part of the valve consists of a disc provided with a vacuum main passage which extends across its back and into which the two vacuum main ports open, and also provided with a central pivot pin which pro- ]ects forward from its front; and in which the movable part likewise consists of a disc mounted to turn on said pivot pin and kept in close engagement with the fixed disc. 3. A vacuum-operated liquid dispensing installation, according to claim l, in which the fixed part of the valve is formed with air inlets so positioned that the movement oi the movable part of the valve to its second position admits air to the top of the vessel then connected with the vacuum main through the connection leading from its bottom.

In testimony whereof, l aiiiX my signature.

JAMES VVILFRED FUGE. 

